Embodiments of the present specification relate generally to maintenance of an engine, and more particularly to systems and methods for performing a condition-based maintenance of the engine.
Unwanted deposits in fluid flow components may lead to several operational problems in modern engines. For example, formation of coke deposits in the lubrication subsystem of an engine can lead to blocked lubricating tubes, and thus reduced performance of the lubrication subsystem. In a turbine engine, excessive coke deposition on the inner surface of a scavenge tube or any other tube or component of the lubricating system may result in reduced oil flow between components of the lubricating system. This in turn may result in a drop in oil levels, potentially leading to events such as In-Flight-Shut-Down and Unscheduled-Engine-Removal.
Oil coking or formation of coke deposits in the lubrication subsystem occurs due to thermal breakdown of oil at high temperatures. Disadvantageously, oil coking in the lubrication subsystem of an engine can lead to catastrophic failures. Similarly, other deposits in the fluid flow components may adversely affect the performance of the engine. Some examples of these other deposits include deposits formed due to varnish and sludge formation, scales, paraffin deposits, and the like.
Currently available techniques to resolve this problem of unwanted deposits entail inspection of affected fluid flow components at periodic intervals and removal of the unwanted deposits. Traditionally, the schedule of such periodic maintenance is determined based on historical data and is agnostic to an actual amount of deposit formed in a given engine, consequently resulting in the unnecessary inspection of engines. This leads to loss of productivity (or time-on-wing, for aviation engines) and additional maintenance costs.